THINK TOURISM!
Peeping Tom
Kaieteur News
March 17, 2007
One year ago I wrote an article in which I urged that we “think tourism,” meaning that we have to give greater attention to encouraging this sector which can act as more than a buffer against the fallout from the decline in the traditional sectors.
The following is a revised version of an earlier column which I believe is relevant at this time. I hope that after the cricket, the President can think carefully about the progress that we are making in this vital sector and perhaps reconsider restoring the status quo ante prior to that which existed prior to August 2006 within the tourism ministry.
Last year, I mentioned that we had running the tourism portfolio the best minister within the government, Manzoor Nadir. For some inexplicable reason, he has not been retained in the job, something that I believe is a terrible mistake since plans would have already been made in preparation for CWC 2007 and to have a change in leadership was not the ideal thing and would have broken the process of continuity.
I noted then that whatever happens in the next few years, Guyana has to think tourism, tourism, and tourism! We must gear our country and our people to diversity into tourism and to achieve and maintain the standards that would encourage visitors to come here, spend more money and thus help our country's economy to grow.
Tourism has been identified as one of the new growth sectors identified by the government. Tourism is the largest growing sector in the world. More and more people are traveling as incomes rise in developed countries and this includes the hundreds of thousands of Guyanese who live in those countries.
Guyana which had long isolated itself from tourism because of the misguided fear that it would instill false consciousness on our people, must now get on board if its wishes to benefit from the benefits that tourism can provide to our economy.
The limits to the number of arrivals was recently confirmed when last year, Guyana surprisingly suffered a decline in tourist arrivals, something that was not anticipated, even though it was an election year.
I am now convinced that our tourist arrivals will cap out at 150,000 per year and thus we should not from now expect a growth in tourist arrivals in excess of 5% per annum.
The objective therefore has to be to increase the per capita spending of visitors. There are already huge challenges to achieving this goal because of high airfares and the nature of the dominant family type tourism in Guyana .
The value of tourism to the survival of the Guyanese economy must not be underestimated.
For example, if in the peak Christmas season 30,000 Guyanese return home, and if each of them spend an average of US $1000, then in that period alone this amounts to US$30M or the total one-year loss anticipated in the local sugar industry as a result of the changes in Europe's sugar regime.
Whatever happens in Europe in November, Guyana has the means to survive but a number of things will have to change. We can compensate for that loss in one month of good tourism. Certain things however have to be put in place.
The first is that we need to get a national airline on board with competitive prices. Despite competition within the airlines that service the Guyana route, fares are still on the high end. We need a policy of encouraging cheaper fares so that more people will choose Guyana over other destinations.
Secondly there has to be a change in attitude throughout the country. The hospitality sector requires that Guyanese become more welcoming, courteous, helpful and friendly. Nothing turns a tourist off more than a bad experience. With each dissatisfied tourist comes another lost visitor. While many tourists come with an attitude and expect first world standards, there is a way to deal with these complaints that is both professional and polite.
In addition, when tourists come here there must be places for them to visit and events for them to attend. The entertainment circuit in Guyana is at present mainly a rum-drinking and beer-boozing affair. This may have its attractions, but people also want to go to our resorts at affordable prices and to have a good time.
We need to look at our museums and art galleries and see if we cannot integrate these so as to impress rather than depress visitors. We need to shock our tourists rather than have them laugh at what we have to offer.
In the days and months ahead, we have to think tourism, live tourism and eat tourism. It will ensure that whatever happens to bauxite sugar and rice, Guyana can survive.